Looking Back: The Legend of Korra and Its Impact On Us

I love movies and comics, but I know all things DC. Find me on Twitter @HaneyCasey

It has been a while now since the ending of The Legend of Korra, and since many fans were speculative on the existence of this new series, many people’s thoughts of blaspheme have dissipated, and most are left with a yearning for more just as we all did before with Avatar: The Last Airbender. I, like most people, fell in love with Legend of Korra more so than I did with ALA. Legend of Korra was the grown up Avatar series that all people my age wanted. LOK delivered something much more special than I think we were all expecting. We all soon realized what a truly spectacular show this was. Let’s break down what set Legend of Korra apart from Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Living Up To Expectations

One of the most beloved shows of the 2000's was undoubtedly The Last Airbender. It touched people of all ages and brought us along for a journey of epic proportions. Needless to say, with the amount of love that The Last Airbender had garnered, it was absolutely necessary to make a show just as good, if not better, than what had come before. When LOK first aired, I was a bit skeptical and a little hesitant to give it a real chance. However, by the end of that explosive first season, I was hooked like a junkie. I couldn’t get enough. It wasn’t just that I was excited to be in the Avatar universe again, but that I was truly enthralled with the characters they had created as well as the adventures they had sent them on. The first season of LoK felt as hard hitting and great as The Last Airbender’s final season. In that first season, we were given a character who was flawed but noble, scared by courageous, powerful yet vulnerable, and unique but relatable. Korra gave us all the traits, and more, that we’d come to expect from the Avatar.

All Grown Up

The Last Airbender spoke to a generation that were similar ages to that of Aang, Katara, and Sokka. After several years off air, that same audience grew up. I was in my late teens as LOK began, and I was a very different person by that time. Just like me, the show also aged. Legend of Korra targeted an audience that was older and mature. The show utilized this new demographic to bring us content that would challenge us and make us think about not just the show, but our own world-view. The Last Airbender, while extremely well done, is at it’s heart, a pure and childish show. Legend of Korra is an adult show under the guise of a children’s show. The characters we are given are fully realized people with flaws, motivations, and world-views. The use of such realistic characters opened up opportunities to give us a journey that taught us valuable lessons about ourselves and whom we’ve become. I love the type of synergy that was produced by just letting the show grow with us. One concept allowed for all aspects of the show to improve and make a product that was so unique and life-changing.

What Did We Get?

This show was not only a well-crafted product, but an important collection of stories. We all learned and grew from watching this show. LOK taught us to love who we love, but before that we must always love ourselves. It taught us to accept those who are different than us regardless of relation. Through Korra, we faced our greatest fears, and came to understand the importance of adversity. More importantly, the show taught us how to face adversity head on without having to remain invulnerable. We got so much more than entertainment. We got an experience. There is nothing else more that I could ask for.

If you haven’t watched Legend of Korra, obviously you should be watching it before reading this, but you should definitely get on watching it as soon as possible. If you loved Avatar: The Last Airbender, I guarantee you that you will fall in love with Legend of Korra. Please, if you enjoyed this, let me know what your favorite thing is from this series. I love to hear what you all think! Please be sure to follow me on Twitter @HaneyCasey and on MoviePilot.com/HaneyCasey. Thanks for reading!

Poll

Did Legend of Korra impact you?

Yes. It changed my life!

Not a whole lot.

It hurt me. I disliked it that much.

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